The Favored One
by statetech0
Summary: "Kira bristled at this, her eyes darting to Rey with a mixture of uncertainty and imploring. Catching herself, Rey nodded in understanding, feeling Kira's essence in the Force. The girl was always quite sensitive of other people's emotions, but still expressed a desire to make her own feelings known, however tepid. It reminded Rey so much of... well, someone else she once knew."
1. Chapter 1: Exulted

**Chapter 1: Exulted**

The chirping of the Porgs awoke Rey from her little stone hut. Rising from her bed, she found herself alone; the space on the floor was empty. Dressing quietly in grey robes, she headed out into the warm morning blanketing the island planet of Ahch-To.

In a stone, circular courtyard created by the ring of huts, she found her Padawans at breakfast, work and play. Her pupils were youth - teenagers down to babes - but she loved them all. As she approached, some of them bowed to her respectfully - a courteous tradition, passed down from the Jedi of old, but one that was not always necessary. Others smiled or waved in greeting. A little boy named John (he was only three) ran up and handed her a bowl of stew. Beaming, Rey tenderly ruffled his hair. Eyes scanning, she finally found who she was looking for and smiled.

She was seated on a log, overlooking the view from the cliffs. A round, pretty face, with her hair looking like spun gold when it glinted in the sunlight. A round, pretty face. Doe eyes - brown in color, which Rey much preferred. Smiling softly, Rey took a seat beside the girl. Kira - her personal apprentice. Just 15 years old, but already wise and strong.

"Good morning, dear."

"Good morning, Master." Kira's tone was dulcet, like sweet music, even when she was tired. The girl stifled a yawn. Picked at her bowl. "The stew seems rather bland this morning."

"Bland? Really, my love, give Chewie more credit!"

Kira bristled at this, her eyes darting to Rey with a mixture of uncertainty and imploring. Catching herself, Rey nodded in understanding, feeling Kira's essence in the Force. The girl was always quite sensitive of other people's emotions, but still expressed a desire to make her own feelings known, however tepid. It reminded Rey so much of... well, someone else she once knew. It was best not to express too much and risk her apprentice's discomfort. It was something that Kira had asked of Rey, long ago.

She suddenly felt Kira grab her hand, the young girl's face alight with gossip. "Mikki Solaris says that Temiri is seeing Francesca Stardust! Is that true?"

Rey held back a smile. There were moments where she could appreciate Kira's personality, her acting like a young girl. After all, Rey had been a girl once herself, and in love. Kira might claim otherwise, but Rey knew she had a lingering crush on Temiri Blagg, Rey's very first Padawan learner.

Quite suddenly, there he was, the handsome young man of 25 pelting down from the higher cliffs. "Master!" he panted. "Master! Starship ahoy! It just came out of hyperspace!"

Rey clucked and shook her head. "You can see why I don't believe you, Temiri." In his youth, Temiri had gotten in the habit of giving false alarm guard reports whenever he kept watch on Shaved Rock Ridge - the place where Rey had once sliced a stone in half with Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber.

"I swear to you, it's true! An X-wing - looks like a two-pilot-er!"

Rey frowned. "Now, who in Maker's name could that be?" she wondered aloud, following Temiri up to the ridge. Behind her, she could see Kira clambering after them. Reaching the outcropping, Rey accepted binoculars from Temiri and held them up.

The X-wing had come in hard and fast into Ahch-To's atmosphere, into their airspace, having just touched down at the landing platform by the sea, where the _Millennium Falcon_ itself had once docked long ago. Indeed, the fighter looked to be built for a pilot and co-pilot - both of them men now clambering down the ladder. Rey started, the binoculars coming down sharply. It couldn't be...

"Kira, go and round up the others. We have guests!" The girl scrambled to obey. Rey handed the goggles back to Temiri. "Stay here," she instructed. Robes flapping behind her, she ran all the way down to the landing platform. Coming closer still, the grin burst onto her face. Her heart cried out in surprised joy.

"Finn? Is it really...?!"

The dark-skinned man spun about and beamed. "Freckles!" He roared her pet name as he picked her up in their hug and spun her around.

"There she is!"

"Poe?!" Rey laughed, and with shouts of happiness, was hugging him too. Poe Dameron ruffled her hair.

"It's been too long, Kid."

"Indeed, it has," she grinned back. The last time she had seen her best friends had been... the end of the war. Sixteen years ago. "What are you two _doing_ here?!"

"Passing through on our way to the Illeenium System," Poe smiled. "It's been ages since we came out this way - the edges of the Unknown Regions are still volatile, you know, and we figured..." He shrugged. "So here we are!"

Rey laughed and embraced him again. "Well, my students will be anxious to meet war heroes!"

"Married ones, no less," Finn smirked cheekily.

Rey smiled. She still felt sorry that she couldn't make it to the wedding. She had sent her regrets, feeling in fragile health. "How could I forget, Mister Dameron?"

"Excuse me, but which Dameron are you referring to?" Poe's eyes twinkled.

"The more handsome one," Rey chirped, jerking a thumb at her best friend.

"Hey!" the pilot looked hurt.

"Poor baby," Finn kissed Poe's fingers, before looping an arm through Rey's. "Lead the way, Master Jedi."

* * *

Upon learning that Poe and Finn Dameron had graced them with a visit, the Padawans had been eager to show off their training. Both Generals were most impressed.

That night, the group of Jedi gathered in the Big House - the largest hut on the island where group meals were taken from time to time. Poe and Finn took great effort to learn all the names of Rey's students. When they met Kira, Rey's personal apprentice, both men had noted the pride in Rey's eyes when she spoke of the young girl.

And how master and apprentice were inseparable even now, seated beside each other at the long table.

"Are Master and apprentice relationships always this... affectionately close?" Finn asked of his husband.

Poe shrugged and picked at his salad. "I wouldn't know."

"No, not like that." a pre-teen girl named Jordan piped up from Poe's left. "Kira's _special_." There was no bitterness in the girl's voice - it was simply a statement of the facts. Almost as though it was a common truth.

"Is she, now? How so?" Poe asked of the girl.

"She's the favored one," Jordan stated simply. "Master Rey pretends like she isn't, but we all know better. Kira sleeps in the same hut as Master Rey. Master Rey always shares food with her. Sometimes, Master Rey will call Kira 'my love' or 'honey'."

Now even Finn was curious. "Why would she do that?"

"Temiri could tell you," Jordan shrugged. "He was the only one there that night."

_What night?_ Poe and Finn shared a look, now more than a little intrigued. "Maybe we should talk to her."

Poe nodded at his spouse. Standing, both men rounded the table. "You finished, Kid?" Poe asked Rey. "We can talk outside. There is so much to catch up on!" Then he nodded to the apprentice. "You can come, too, Kira, if you want."

The teenager shrugged but followed them out. Sitting in the circular courtyard, on logs beside the fire, Poe was struggling on how to address what he wanted to address. Now armed with what Jordan had said, something didn't feel right...

"So, Kira," Poe began. "How did you come to be Rey's apprentice?"

Kira folded into herself a little. "Well, Temiri was the first one to pass the trials, then... Master trained Francesca, and now, she chose to teach me!"

"Did Rey find you through the Force?" Finn inquired kindly. "How did you two meet? Little John says that most students here are recruited from their families."

Though that wasn't their intention, Kira now appeared quite nervous. She stole a glance over at the older woman. "Meet? Oh, well, I... I don't really recall. I've known M...Master as long as I can remember..."

In the firelight, Rey's eyes narrowed in concern. She laid a gentle hand on Kira's arm. "Honey, go wait in the hut." Kira got up to move away.

And that's when Poe saw it.

"There! Right there! I _know_ those eyes... I've seen those eyes..."

Finn nodded gravely. "Maz was right. If you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people..."

Kira whimpered, her terrified eyes rapidly filling with tears. Rey got a hard edge to her voice.

"Boys... what's going on?"

Poe decided to go for it. Provoke a reaction, and see if it was the right one. "I'm not sure, Rey. Maybe you should ask your daughter?"

Strained silence. Rey's orbs widened. They snapped to Kira, sharing a loaded look. Kira whimpered again. "Mommy?" Her voice sounded like that of a small child, asking for help. "Uncle Poe..."

Poe silently picked up on this, right before Kira burst into tears and fled for Rey's hut.


	2. Chapter 2: The Truth

**Chapter 2: The Truth**

By the light of the fire roaring in the hearth, Rey sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her daughter's hair. Kira always looked so at peace when she slept. Rey could drown herself looking upon her face. Especially her eyes... Ben's eyes... The shape of the face was his too. But nose, ears... that was Rey shining through.

She hadn't been able to account for Kira's blonde hair, at first. Rey's hair was chestnut brown, and Ben's locks had been the most beautiful, silky black. But then Rey had seen holo footage of Luke as a young man - his hair had been blonde, making him sinfully striking. It seemed natural that something would be passed down to Kira from her great-uncle.

It had been during the war, and after. Rey and Ben's Force Bond had grown to astonishing, intimate strength. Neither could help it as they fell in love. Nights spent alone together in secret, where Ben made love to her with her moaning beneath him. Was he a ghost? Had he been a dream? That made her body laugh and cry? For the end did come - a final furious battle to test their forbidden love. And, then, just like that - gone. Ben was gone.

But not entirely gone, as it would turn out. Soon after coming to the island with Temiri Blagg, her first apprentice, Rey had felt her form changing. Sensed a beautiful new presence growing within her. She had carried the infant breathlessly for those many months, until one stormy night. A stormy night that made her body laugh with delight and cry in pain as she brought her baby daughter into the world with only a scared Temiri for company. The boy had only been not quite 10, then. Nevertheless, he had gamely helped deliver the most beautiful creature Rey had ever seen. A creature blessed unto her by her lost love. Kira Rose Solo...

"Rose?" Finn's voice piped up from the corner of the hut. Clearly, with the Force, he had read her thoughts. After the hostilities had ended, Rey had tried to convince Finn to come with her and train as a Jedi. But Poe had been waiting for him. "You named her partially after Rosie?"

One more stroke of her hair. One more kiss, on the forehead. Rey stood and faced her best friend. "She earned it." They all silently thought about their friend who had given her life in the war.

By the fireplace, the glow glinting in his hard eyes, Poe leaned against the wall, brooding. "Why didn't you tell us, Rey?"

She didn't really have a good answer for that. She supposed she should have kept better contact, or more open contact, at least. "I... I don't know."

"Don't lie to me!" Poe barked, sounding every bit like the big brother Rey considered him to be. Rey frantically shushed him, indicating that Kira was asleep. She had feared things would come out this way. Between her pair of best friends, Poe was the more volatile of the two. Quicker to anger. "Is this what you meant when you said you were physically unfit to travel to our wedding? Why you couldn't accept the invitation? You were pregnant then, weren't you?"

Rey gulped. "Yes," she whispered.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Poe repeated.

"Because I thought you would react like this!" Rey faced him. "I thought you would hate her!"

To her slight relief, Poe actually looked hurt. "What would make you think such a thing? Kira's a lovely girl..."

"You hated Ben," Rey pointed out.

"Which brings up another point," Finn rose from the meager chair in the corner. "Why didn't you tell us you had fallen in love with Kylo Ren? That you were involved with him?"

"You wouldn't have understood the Bond we shared in the Force," Rey explained sadly. "And even if you did, you would have been angry with me. I didn't want to give you any reason to think I betrayed you!"

"Well, in keeping your child from us, Rey, I'm pretty sure you already have!" Poe spat.

Rey leaned back, stung. A silence and then: "I suppose I deserved that."

Still, Poe appeared contrite. "Perhaps. Though I should have phrased it better."

"Yes, you should have," Rey clipped shortly. There was another pause.

"You could have at least been open with us," Poe pleaded more gently. "Told us you were pregnant, and that the baby was his. We would have helped you!" The sincerity in his voice was not lost on Rey, and she felt touched. Ashamed that she had kept secrets.

In the corner, Finn had sunk back into his chair, quiet. Rey could feel his emotions swirling through the Force. Regret. Guilt. "I feel... just like I did that night on Jakku. When we opened fire on the village. I feel... guilty." He looked up to Rey and she was moved to see tears swimming there. "I killed her father." His eyes swept over Kira in the bed.

Smiling sadly, Rey stood and crossed over to Finn. Kneeling beside him, she took his hands in hers, rubbing them gently. "Finn, look at me."

He whimpered and shook his head.

"_Look_ at me, Finny," Rey said tenderly. "You fired that shot to end the war. Ben was still trapped in his persona of Kylo Ren; the choices he made moved him further down the dark path. And I didn't know I was carrying Kira then."

"But Ben did what he did out of hatred for _us_, not you. I see that now. Maybe... he could have disappeared to live happily with you, but still live! I'm a horrible friend."

"No, you're not. And you certainly aren't a horrible godfather."

Finn glanced up. Rey smiled softly. "I named you her godfather when she was born. Wrote you a letter and everything. If anything had ever happened to me, Kira would have been told where to find you and explain what she is to me. She has always loved her Uncle Finn."

"Uncle Finn?" Finn smiled tearfully.

"I've told her quite a bit about you and Poe." She felt Poe smile heavily by the fireplace. To her relief, Finn's grin broadened too.


	3. Chapter 3: Darkness in Me Too

**Chapter 3: Darkness in Me Too**

The next morning, Finn and Poe observed Kira sitting on a rock, high on a cliff separated from the other Padawans. She appeared to be meditating, but Finn could tell from the Force that her thoughts were troubled.

Poe ran a hand over his face. If they were going to talk to her, they would have to choose their words carefully. Rey had encouraged her friends to talk with her daughter. "She wants to know you both!" she had said.

Taking a deep breath, Poe shared a look with his spouse and they climbed the crest of the hill to where Kira was opening her eyes, releasing herself from her meditation.

"Hi, Kira," Finn said gently.

She quirked an eyebrow at them. "I know you two haven't been standing there for the last ten minutes just to say 'Hi, Kira.' What's up?"

"We wanted to apologize," Poe blurted out. That seemed the most logical first step, more than anything. "We were judgmental in learning about you and your mother's situation. If we directed some of that at you, we apologize."

"We were more upset with your mother," Finn added earnestly. "That she didn't tell us about you."

Kira considered this silently. Finally, she spoke up: "Mommy has a picture of the three of you on her dresser. You're both quite handsome. She's told me countless stories about you."

Poe smiled, encouraged. "All good ones, I hope."

"Well," Kira smirked. "Most of them feature _you_ being a reckless ass." Finn snorted. "Mostly, I hear stories about my dad." At this, she faltered, eyeing them warily. "Do you know who my dad is?"

Finn nodded. "Yes, we knew your daddy. I worked under him at one point, before I met your mother."

"Your dad arrested me once," Poe explained. "So, we weren't friends, if that's what you're wondering."

"I know what he did," Kira said, perhaps a little shortly. "He loved my mommy, and they had me. But he didn't turn back to the light." Quite suddenly, she sniveled, beginning to cry. "He probably didn't even want me."

"That's not true, Kira!" Poe said sharply.

"Your father would have wanted you if he had known about you. Why, he probably would have given up everything and returned to the light to keep you and your mother happy. It's just that... no one gave him that chance, not even himself. We... ran out of time." Finn suddenly found the ground very interesting.

The former Stormtrooper could feel his husband's eyes on him. Yes, he hadn't come out and directly stated the truth, but he had come close. Kira was also peering at him curiously.

"You killed him, didn't you?" Her voice was quiet.

Finn gave a guilty little nod. "Only because I didn't have a choice. I've been so afraid of how it affected your mom. Since learning of you, my guilt's been ten times worse."

"But she forgave you," Kira guessed. After a moment of silence, she concluded, "I don't hold it against you, Uncle Finn. Daddy had a lot of darkness in him. Mommy says she does also. My maternal grandfather and paternal great-grandfather were two of the most infamous Sith Lords in history." Her voice grew quiet. "Maybe there's a darkness in me too."

"You're right. There is." Finn turned at Poe's words in surprise. "But that doesn't mean you are a dark person. It is your choice whether to let that darkness out and let it overshadow your light. Your mom discovered that for herself. I bet that someday, you will too."

Kira smiled weakly. "Thank you, Uncle Poe." Standing, she unexpectedly pulled both men into a group hug. "Will you stay?" she gazed up into their faces. "I've never had uncles before. I want to hear more stories about my mom."

Poe chuckled. "Oh, there are plenty of those. Come with us."

And leading her back down the cliffs, Finn started in with his favorite. "Have I ever told you how your mother hit me in the face with her staff when we first met...?"


	4. Chapter 4: FLASHBACK - Fifteen Years Ear

**Chapter 4: FLASHBACK - Fifteen Years Earlier**

Her belly was gorgeously round, but the initial spasms, starting in her back at first, had made their appearance that morning. With another notorious squall inundating the island, she and Temiri had been forced to stay indoors, wind and rain buffeting the little stone hut.

Temiri Blagg was an awkward and sweet young boy. He had been in disbelief when his Master had first told him she was expecting a child. But he had vowed to help, and more encouragingly, had not allowed curiosity to compel the asking of pointed questions. Such as who the father was. Rey did not know if she would ever tell him that, or anyone for that matter. But if Temiri could keep his mouth shut, a secret like this he could keep.

Rey had been pacing back and forth for most of the day, traversing the length of the hut's floor. She found that the spasms were less if she was upright and mobile. By the roaring hearth, Temiri watched her warily.

Rey wasn't trying to induce labor with her exercise, but even she could tell that the time was near. Would she be ready for it was the real question.

All at once, she gasped, clutching her swelling stomach as she felt wetness trickle and stream down between her legs. "OH!"

Temiri leapt to his feet. "Master? What's wrong?"

Rey arched her back, her face contorting in agony. "AHHHHH!"

"Master?!" Temiri's voice was frightened.

Rey breathed deeply. "It's coming... the baby's coming..."

"_Now_?!" Temiri's yelp was pitchier than a howling dog. "What do I do?"

"Whatever I tell you," Rey ordered calmly. "Temiri, get me on the mats."

She had yet to craft a proper bed - hardly any trees and kindling were to be had on Ahch-To, but Poe had promised that he would whittle a bed himself and deliver it expressly from Yavin IV. The former General had been quite skilled at woodworking in his youth. Rey felt grateful that she had not needed to provide any details as to why a bed was necessary; for now, the training mats she and Temiri used for lightsaber combat would work nicely. Lying her on her back, Rey spread her legs, readying the birthing channel. Temiri flitted around on barked orders, filling a bowl with warm water and laying it at his master's feet. Dousing a rag in the water and laying it on Rey's forehead.

"Inch up my nightgown," Rey panted. Temiri froze, still so innocent but wanting to still conduct himself like a gentleman. "For Force's sake, Temiri, it's all right! I don't care if you see me!" Still, Rey noted with amusement how the boy turned his face away anyway, out of respect, when her nether regions were exposed.

Rey had never given birth before. And Temiri had certainly never delivered a baby before. Kneeling at his teacher's side, he gripped her hand; Rey tried not to crush his fingers in her fist.

"If you're not going to watch the birth canal," she instructed. "Just count at regular intervals and tell me to push, and I'll push. 1, 2, 3 and then I'll bear down. Think you can do that."

"Yes, Master," Temiri breathed, the tremor still in his voice.

Rey gave him a strained smile. "Good boy. On my count... AHHHHH! 1, 2, 3! UHHHHHHHHHH!" Her face contorted, her back arched as she screamed, pushing as hard as she could.

"Keep going, Master!" Temiri encouraged. "Relax and recover. And 1, 2, 3 - PUSH!"

"AHHHHHHH! OHHHH GODDDD! BENNNNNNNNN! BEN!" Rey wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Temiri had no idea who Ben was, except to deduce perhaps it was his Master's paramour, the father of her child, and yet he did ask for answers.

Peeking over her knees, Temiri could see something emerging from Rey's lady parts. "Master! Master! I can see the head! I think." There was too much blood and gore dropping into the bowl to tell.

Rey grimaced. "She's crowning. One more time. And... PUSH! GAHHHHHHHH!" With a final shout, Rey slid the baby out of her and it plopped into the warm bowl. Temiri scrambled about like a womp rat and scooped the squawking thing from the warm water, its head only underwater for just a second. The strains of blood were washing away from the baby's face, and the young apprentice went about cleaning her everywhere else. Wrapped her in blankets and swaddling clothes from a stashed corner. In abject wonder, Temiri passed the babe over to his teacher.

"She's quite pretty, Master," he reported.

Rey took one look at her baby daughter, and fell instantly in love. She was tumbling through space, she felt dizzy and she thought of the one other time she had felt this way. Gazing into Ben's eyes: back on Takodana when they met, in the elevator to Snoke. Kissing him for the first time... Ben making love to her in secret onboard the _Falcon_... The night of their wedding, giving their vows in his chambers aboard the First Order flagship...

That giddy, heady feeling assaulted her now, as Rey beheld what she and her Ben had created.

"It's you... Ohhhh... you're so beautiful..." Rey cooed. "My Kira... My Kira Rose..."

In the firelight, Temiri smiled in rapture, pleased.


End file.
